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Summer is in full swing… AKA it’s freaking hot outside. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the season. New Jersey basically turns into an Amazon forest or something and humidity turns those sunny days into more of a nightmare.

Still, there is one plus: new clothes and styles! I love summer shopping: dresses, sandals, the whole kit and kaboodle. So I’ve done the painful research and found the staples that I need for this summer to at least look cool while I’m slowly boiling in the Jersey heat.

Bright WedgesTarget, $29.99
This has been my year in heels. I’ve never had much of an occasion to wear heels, but now that I’ve got a real job I’ve been rocking them with each season like it’s nobody’s business. In fact, wedges were the reason I decided to write this post in the first place. You can’t avoid them and they are available in the cutest colors and all different heights. My advice is to check out target for some really good deals, like the ones pictured or the ones I’m wearing now that I found for $8! Yeah, call me the ultimate sale hunter.

White JeansGap, $69.95
I tend to avoid white clothing like the plague. White and I don’ get along for too long. It’s only a matter of time before I somehow manage to spill something dark-colored and permanent on a brand new item. I’ve gotten used to walking around with stains on me, but now that I’m turning into a full-fledged adult I should probably make some changes.

I have wanted white jeans for forever, and this summer it’s an undeniable desire. Colored jeans are everywhere, and I’ve been obsessed with white on navy blue recently. Pretty much anything slightly nautical, I’m on board. Plus, they’re versatile: day to night and all that jazz.

Maxi SkirtPac Sun, on sale! $39.50
Oh gosh, how wonderful are Maxi skirts? I get little chills just thinking about them. They are like more fashionable sweat pants: super comfy and easy to throw on with anything. Plus, short people like me can usually just roll the top over or do a quick hem on the bottom without any worries. I’ve been secretly eyeing up long skirts for a few years, and I’m so excited that people are finally rocking them. I fully embrace the hippie-chic look, which is why I can’t stop daydreaming about this tie-dyed skirt, but they make a ton of bold colored maxis that, when paired with a solid tank top and some chunky gold jewelry, look effortlessly classy.

Strapless, Floral DressOld Navy, on sale! $18.99
Best part about summer? Dresses. Picking one dress for this blog was hard enough, but I’ve had my eye on this little number and now that it’s on sale I feel like it’s time to pounce.

Giant floral prints may look tacky on guys, but they look awesome on ladies so I plan on taking full advantage of that giant step for femininity (sarcasm, everyone, sarcasm). Plus I love a strapless dress with an elastic top. Without that thin piece of elastic you are stuck pulling up the sides of your dress all day long, but it’s such a lifesaver when designers (most likely women designers) use their brains for such a simple solution.

Straw toteMichael Kors, $328
I am not encouraging you to go out and spend $300 on a purse. That would be absolutely bananas. I’m just saying that if I had the money to throw around this would be my ideal suggestion. It’s actually a purse I stumbled on while I was doing some research for my job (see it in print next month! Yay shameless plugs) and have fallen in love with it. So has the rest of the world, apparently, because it was on backorder soon after it hit the Internet. I love that this has straw, a little leather and the perfect amount of chain. Plus, it is humongous, which is just right for a crazy bag lady like me.

TomsZumiez, $44.95
Normally I wouldn’t be able to justify spending almost fifty bucks for a pair of shoes that are practically slippers, but I have to make an exception for Toms. This fabulous brand of super-comfy slip ons actually match your purchase, by delivering one pair of shoes to children in third world countries that could not otherwise afford their own. That might be why every celebrity under the sun originally made them a trend. I like them because they’re plain canvas, and you can totally tweak them to make them your own.

Patterned ShortsGap, $49.95
I’m at an age where cutoff jean shorts are slowly becoming more trashy then trendy, so searching for an alternative was necessary. And then I discovered this year’s patterned shorts trend. I used to wear shorts with designs on them, when I was 10 years old and my mom still shopped for my clothes and everything was covered in pink bunnies and embarrassing stuff like that. So, yes, you can guess that I was slightly hesitant to embrace this new idea. But then I discovered that patterns can be cute… really cute! And not ugly at all. What a concept!